Photoresist compositions are used in microlithography processes for making miniaturized electronic components such as in the fabrication of computer chips and integrated circuits. Generally, in these processes, a thin coating of film of a photoresist composition is first applied to a substrate material, such as silicon wafers used for making integrated circuits. The coated substrate is then baked to evaporate any solvent in the photoresist composition and to fix the coating onto the substrate. The photoresist coated on the substrate is next subjected to an image-wise exposure to radiation.
The radiation exposure causes a chemical transformation in the exposed areas of the coated surface. Visible light, ultraviolet (UV) light, electron beam and X-ray radiant energy are radiation types commonly used today in microlithographic processes. After this image-wise exposure, the coated substrate is treated with a developer solution to dissolve and remove either the radiation exposed or the unexposed areas of the photoresist. The trend toward the miniaturization of semiconductor devices has led to the use of new photoresists that are sensitive at lower and lower wavelengths of radiation and has also led to the use of sophisticated multilevel systems to overcome difficulties associated with such miniaturization.
There are two types of photoresist compositions: negative-working and positive-working. The type of photoresist used at a particular point in lithographic processing is determined by the design of the semiconductor device. When negative-working photoresist compositions are exposed image-wise to radiation, the areas of the photoresist composition exposed to the radiation become less soluble to a developer solution (e.g. a cross-linking reaction occurs) while the unexposed areas of the photoresist coating remain relatively soluble to such a solution. Thus, treatment of an exposed negative-working resist with a developer causes removal of the non-exposed areas of the photoresist coating and the creation of a negative image in the coating, thereby uncovering a desired portion of the underlying substrate surface on which the photoresist composition was deposited.
On the other hand, when positive-working photoresist compositions are exposed image-wise to radiation, those areas of the photoresist composition exposed to the radiation become more soluble to the developer solution (e.g. a rearrangement reaction occurs) while those areas not exposed remain relatively insoluble to the developer solution. Thus, treatment of an exposed positive-working photoresist with the developer causes removal of the exposed areas of the coating and the creation of a positive image in the photoresist coating. Again, a desired portion of the underlying surface is uncovered.
Photoresist resolution is defined as the smallest feature, which the resist composition can transfer from the photomask to the substrate with a high degree of image edge acuity after exposure and development. In many leading edge manufacturing applications today, photoresist resolution on the order of less than one-half micron are necessary. In addition, it is almost always desirable that the developed photoresist wall profiles be near vertical relative to the substrate. Such demarcations between developed and undeveloped areas of the resist coating translate into accurate pattern transfer of the mask image onto the substrate. This becomes even more critical as the push toward miniaturization reduces the critical dimensions on the devices. In cases where the photoresist dimensions have been reduced to below 150 nm, the roughness of the photoresist patterns has become a critical issue. Edge roughness, commonly known as line edge roughness, is typically observed for line and space patterns as roughness along the photoresist line, and for contact holes as side wall roughness. Edge roughness can have adverse effects on the lithographic performance of the photoresist, especially in reducing the critical dimension latitude and also in transferring the line edge roughness of the photoresist to the substrate. Hence, photoresists that minimize edge roughness are highly desirable.
Photoresists sensitive to short wavelengths, between about 100 nm and about 300 nm are often used where subhalfmicron geometries are required. Particularly preferred are photoresists comprising non-aromatic polymers, a photoacid generator, optionally a dissolution inhibitor, and solvent.
High resolution, chemically amplified, deep ultraviolet (100-300 nm) positive and negative tone photoresists are available for patterning images with less than quarter micron geometries. To date, there are three major deep ultraviolet (UV) exposure technologies that have provided significant advancement in miniaturization, and these use lasers that emit radiation at 248 nm, 193 nm and 157 nm. Photoresists used in the deep UV typically comprise a polymer which has an acid labile group and which can deprotect in the presence of an acid, a photoactive component which generates an acid upon absorption of light, and a solvent.
Photoresists for 248 nm have typically been based on substituted polyhydroxystyrene and its copolymers, such as those described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,491,628 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,350,660. On the other hand, photoresists for 193 nm exposure require non-aromatic polymers, since aromatics are opaque at this wavelength. U.S. Pat. No. 5,843,624 and GB 2,320,718 disclose photoresists useful for 193 nm exposure. Generally, polymers containing alicyclic hydrocarbons are used for photoresists for exposure below 200 nm. Alicyclic hydrocarbons are incorporated into the polymer for many reasons, primarily since they have relatively high carbon:hydrogen ratios which improve etch resistance, they also provide transparency at low wavelengths and they have relatively high glass transition temperatures. Photoresists sensitive at 157 nm have been based on fluorinated polymers, which are known to be substantially transparent at that wavelength. Photoresists derived from polymers containing fluorinated groups are described in WO 00/67072 and WO 00/17712.
The polymers used in a photoresist are designed to be transparent to the imaging wavelength, but on the other hand, the photoactive component has been typically designed to be absorbing at the imaging wavelength to maximize photosensitivity. The photosensitivity of the photoresist is dependent on the absorption characteristics of the photoactive component, the higher the absorption, the less the energy required to generate the acid, and the more photosensitive is the photoresist.